Entertainment

Ovations: Preparing a New Cast for a Broadway Show on Liberty

Intro from Adam:

Recently I asked Maryann Delany to share highlights of her career in entertainment production. Since the blog post generated an exceptional level of feedback from our readers, we wanted to provide a similar entertainment “Day in the Life” guest blog, but this time from a performer’s point of view.

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I am Celia Mei Rubin and I’m currently onboard Liberty of the Seas as a featured singer. “What does that mean,” you may ask (you may not ask, but I shall tell you anyway). My job entails playing Stephanie Mangano in the musical, Saturday Night Fever, singing in an aerial show aptly called, In The Air, singing in a daytime concert by the pool, Summer Breeze, and singing in a nighttime jazz set in one of the ship’s lounges. I also sing a song in a parade and in the farewell show that is performed at the end of every cruise.

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BY:Adam|3rd November, 2011 7 Comments

From National Ice Champion to Allure Ice Captain

My name is Åsa Persson, I am from Sweden and I am the Ice Captain onboard Allure of the Seas. I was five years old when I started to skate and little did I know back then that my ice skating was going to give me a career onboard a cruise ship! I started in the local skating club because my sisters skated and I thought that it looked like a lot of fun. I ended up loving the sport. When I was ten I was selected by the Swedish Figure Skating Association to be part of a small group of young skaters who showed a lot of promise. At the age of 13 I won my first National Championship and before I retired as an amateur I won four National titles and had been a finalist at the World Championships.

I traveled all over the World for International competitions and I am very fortunate for all the amazing experiences my skating had given me. However, my last couple of years as an amateur were difficult for me because I kept getting injured. Any sport at a high international level is very strenuous on the body and mine couldn’t handle it. I lived and trained in Canada at the time and I started to worry that I was going to become injured for life.

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BY:Asa Persson|25th October, 2011 7 Comments

The Rise to the Top: A Day in the Life of a Royal Caribbean Stage & Production Manager

Hi, my name is Desmond Elvis Reggie Charles and I am one of the Stage and Production Managers onboard the world’s largest cruise ship, Allure of the Seas. I come to you all the way from the Spice Island of Grenada.

I have been working for Royal Caribbean International for the past 17 years. I started back in October 1994 where I had the privilege of joining Royal Caribbean International’s Sovereign of the Seas as a drummer/vocalist in a Caribbean band called “Heat Wave”. I eventually formed my own band called “Blue Orchid”. This was followed by a transfer to the entertainment technical department onboard Voyager of the Seas. After three months as a Lounge Technician I was promoted to Sound Technician for the first ice rink at sea. I continued to move up the ranks of the technical team going from Sound Technician to Head Sound and Light Technician and now to the company’s most senior entertainment position, Stage and Production Manager. Today, I work onboard Allure of the Seas managing the operations of a 1,400 seat theater.

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BY:Desmond Charles|18th October, 2011 20 Comments

One Last Performance: Royal Caribbean’s Director of Entertainment Takes Her Final Bow

Over recent months we have featured a number of our crew in “day in the life” entries such as the one immediately below. The response to them has been very favorable but I would like to hear a little more about specifically what makes them enjoyable to read and how we might make them even more so. From my standpoint, I find it interesting that the authors of these guest blogs appear to be so schedule driven. Our shipboard colleagues rightfully speak about how flexible and guest-centric they must be because just about everything is happening onboard at all times. Their blog entries indicate that the way they accomplish the seemingly impossible is to inject structure (i.e., a schedule) into their endlessly unique days. When we ask them to tell us about their “typical” day they often respond by reciting their schedule. When I see this I sometimes ask them to give us more “color commentary” to go with the “play by play”. The goal is to give you (and me!) as much insight into their world as we can bring to a blog entry.
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My name is Maryann Delany and I am the Director of Entertainment for Royal Caribbean Productions. My team and I are located in Hollywood, Florida in a 38,000 square foot rehearsal facility. We are approaching our 11th year here where we audition, cast, contract, house, costume, teach and rehearse singers, dancers, actors, flyers, gymnasts, ice skaters, swimmers, divers and DreamWorks® costume characters, to name a few, We create and produce all entertainment and entertainment-related activities for 22 Royal Caribbean International ships, and two Azamara Club Cruises ships. Collectively we have 14 ice shows, 18 Parades, four water shows, 56 theater productions and three Broadway shows, Hairspray, CHICAGO: The Musical and Saturday Night Fever.

Sovereign of the Seas

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BY:Maryann Delany|4th October, 2011 25 Comments

Adam Discusses the Recent Events that are Shaping Royal Caribbean’s Future

Some updates from Royal Caribbean’s world:

The tragic events in Japan have posed a number of challenges to us as it relates to Legend of the Seas’ Asia program. Before I get into those, I will re-emphasize that our thoughts and prayers remain with the people who have suffered from the effects of one or more of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant breakdown.

Because we were enthusiastic to get going with our North Asia program in 2011, we had picked an early start date – March 14th – to begin our cruises from Shanghai to Japan and Korea. The series of disastrous events unfolded right as the program was beginning. Eventually, we had no choice but to relocate Legend to Hong Kong and Singapore for the spring and early summer period. That means we had to start from scratch to offer cruises that no one had anticipated selling or buying. While this year will not be what we thought it could be for Legend, I am incredibly proud of the efforts of our colleagues in China and Singapore for the way they have taken up the multiple challenges of dealing with this situation. Fortunately, China’s government has rescinded the travel ban to Japan and we look forward to resuming our scheduled program from Tianjin in July.

“It might be 20 years too late for my wife and me, but Royal Caribbean now has a honeymoon registry website at RoyalCaribbeanHoneymoon.com. I won’t even try to compete with the copy writers for this new offering: “(it) will be a site that allows brides and grooms to register to have guests make contributions to their honeymoon onboard one of our ships as their wedding gift. The couple will be able to register for items such as spa treatments, specialty dining, shores excursions, Gifts and Gear, onboard credits or cash contributions towards the cruise fare.” Having missed our chance by two decades, we’ll have to find out if it’s possible to register for a vow renewal.

I’m happy to say that thanks to the release of iPhone app v1.1 we have expanded our global reach to Brazil and Spain and this blog is now available in the mobile world. Please do not read my blog while you are driving! Also, if you are inclined to book your next cruise on our website, you can get inspired by our new destination pages and you can now hold up to four staterooms simultaneously whereas until now you needed to book one room at a time. You can even split the payment among different credit cards!

Finally, you can watch our two mini-movies, “Royal Reunion” directed by and starring James Brolin, and “The Allure of Love” directed by and starring Jenny McCarthy, at any time by going to our web site or just by searching “Ocean Views films”. They are about 11 minutes each, or less time than it will take to make and eat the popcorn.”

BY:Adam|13th June, 2011 2 Comments

Through Camaraderie and Compassion, Radiance of the Seas’ Revitalizations Come to Life!

My name is Christian Compton and I am a project manager in our Newbuilding and Fleet Design department working with our Revitalization team, led by our Radiance Project Manager Dominick Flores, to revitalize our wonderful ship Radiance of the Seas. We have a wonderful team here of Engineers, Architects, Designers, Accountants, Ship Managers, Crew, Contractors and everything else we need to pull off this wonderful challenge. As I am writing this post, the ship is now in day 3 of our 21 day drydock, which will be sure to make Radiance of the Seas one of the most exciting ships in our fleet. You can see more of the details about what new venues we are adding here.

Radiance is the 3rd ship this year to receive new features under our Royal Advantage program after Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas. The revitalization of Radiance is the largest of the three projects. I can only say, wow, we are excited. For those of our guests who have followed our company through the years you may remember our team featured in a documentary called “Drydock: A cruise ship reborn.” Well that team has grown and through the years we have pushed ourselves to take on bigger and greater challenges so that we can deliver bigger WOWs.

A big revitalization project like this takes a team of nearly 700 contractors and nearly 75 managers from our shoreside departments. That doesn’t even include the more than 1,000 regular crew members who will stay and help out. Although the ship is only out of service for 3 weeks a project like this is culmination of thousands of man hours, days of planning, meetings, and coordination. Already several weeks before the drydock began on May 20 we had teams or “riding crews” loading materials and organizing plans and cleaning out ship stores. When we build new spaces, we don’t need that old carpet design anymore, what we will need is space for new spares.

The whole team arrived in Vancouver in the days prior to May 20 to make sure that everything was in place to organize time for loading materials, debarking our guests and embarking 500 contractors. So as Radiance of the Seas came into the port of Vancouver, a small army of forklifts and teams were busy organizing containers, pallets, tools and checking-in 500 contractors. Thanks to our outstanding guest services, logistics, and hotel teams 45 minutes after the last guest was debarked 10 containers, 200 pallets and 500 contractors were onboard and making speed to Victoria Shipyard in Victoria, Canada.

The first day of revitalization can only be compared to that first day of school after a long summer break. Just like our guests who build long term relationships with other guests through years of sharing wonderful cruise vacations on our ships, our contractors too have become long time friends. The first day is a chance to see old friends and make new ones to take on exciting new challenges. Even our crew and officers have grown with us. Our outstanding Captain Claus Andersen was Staff Captain during Sovereign of the Seas Revitalization back in 2004. So 7 years later we have been reunited, albeit both in new roles yet just as excited to do it bigger and better.

As we pulled into the drydock on a beautiful spring day here in Victoria, only 6 hours after leaving Vancouver, Radiance of the Seas was already becoming her dramatic new self. Up on top the turf was pulled to make room for new future teak and space for the big screen TV to adorn the pool deck. The golf course was ripped up to make room for a bigger and better one. But the real drama was happening inside.

The Seaview Cafe not only has a seaview, it now temporarily has an open air patio as the window wall was torn down to make room for the new enlarged glass facade of the future Samba Grill. Across the hall the Country Club was paved to make room for the new arcade, which will be bigger than most a float. And as the new arcade was finding its home the old arcade was already stripped down to make way for our new Nursery in the Adventure Ocean area.

Downstairs at the same time the old sports bar memorabilia in the Scorecard Bar was being carefully packed away as a an army of sledge hammer holding demolition crews geared up to bring in the dawn of our biggest and grandest Pub at sea, the “Quill and Compass”. By the next morning the only remembrance of the Scorecard Bar was a Royal Caribbean International pennant hanging on the wall to remind everyone where we are and what is happening.

Part of the fun of growing with this team and developing our skills brings the joy of finding new ways to do our jobs better. We like to call it “finding new toys” and for this Revitalization we have wonderful set of little demolition superstars we affectionately call Terminators 1 and 2. These little machines resemble a little cleaning car, except their brushes are swapped out for mean little blades and spears that can pull up teak, turf, carpet, tile, and anything in between. Before we arrived in Victoria our contractors were struggling with the deck demolition. So when Captain Claus rolled the terminators out onto deck, like “blue knights” riding to the rescue, I can assure everyone the cheers from all the teams were probably heard back in Miami. Ahh the smile of kids and their toys.

While all of this work is going on we have to thank our outstanding crew onboard for keeping us safe, housed, fed and happy. The thing with Revitalization is that we are all living onboard, so really, Radiance is just on a different type of cruise with a different type of guest. Imagine that if you went in for a makeover, however extreme, and that you had to keep working while it was happening, not even the newest smart phone can handle that task. Although we are on a drydock cruise I can ensure you there is no sleeping in. If you would happen to forget to wake up by 7 am there are enough jack hammers, grinders, and workers running around to make sure that you get your wake up call.

Speaking of jack hammers, Our Vice President of Newbuilding and Fleet Design, Kevin Douglas, likes to say you can smell and hear how the project is going. Today I heard jack hammers and smelled burnt steel, so we know we are just starting and demolition is at full speed. Once we get that “new car” smell we will all know that guests are packing their bags and we better be heading out.

Long hours and hard work aside, we are looking forward to moving into the construction phase during the coming days. The real fun is seeing all of the workers and crew get excited about what we believe will be some of the best dining experiences, anywhere. I already mentioned the Samba Grill, but right below will be Rita’s Cantina and Izumi Asian Cuisine. Both venues will be finding homes next to our fabulous Windjammer Cafe making this truly an international culinary destination.

Speaking of international, as we all know we have wonderfully diverse crews, and we have a wonderfully diverse group of contractors helping us as well. Right now there are contractors from more than 20 different nationalities working together to build our new venues. Out here we all speak the same language which translates to working safely and efficiently so that on June 10 our guests will confirm the goal that we are what we are all working towards. To DELIVER THE WOW!

BY:Christian Compton|2nd June, 2011 8 Comments

Liberty of the Seas and Saturday Night Fever Dazzle

Although I had just written my “LB from LB” update after visiting Liberty of the Seas post dry dock, I traveled to Barcelona this week to sail with her again. I don’t want to get accused of playing favorites with the ships, but I promised the entertainment team I would be onboard when we premiered our latest Broadway Show, Saturday Night Fever the Musical. I also wanted to see how Liberty and the team onboard did after her first embark in Barcelona, as this is her inaugural season in Europe.

The guest reaction to SNF (That’s how we refer to Saturday Night Fever internally) was nothing short of amazing. The first song started and the guests were already clapping and totally into the show. The audience participation continued through the one hour and twenty minute long show, and culminated in a six minute finale that had the guests on their feet the entire time singing, dancing and clapping wildly. The cast is incredibly talented, in fact, the lead “Tony” actually just came from playing the lead in Grease on the West End in London. The caliber of the cast is unbelievable, because not only do they have to be great singers, but the level of dancing is also highly complex. I know I am biased, but this is the best show we have done yet. I don’t want to spoil too much, so everyone will have to sail on Liberty to experience this special show.

As I did my incognito walk around, I always enjoy watching the guest reaction to our product. This sailing was 4 nights and over 2,300 guests were Spanish. This is more than three times the usual amount of guests on this itinerary. It was very interesting to see what a great asset the digital signs were for our non English speaking guests. These signs are in five languages, and they were used extensively by our guests and got rave reviews. I stood behind a number of guests and asked if I could help them with anything and they said no, that they loved the signs and got the information they needed.

Captain Charles Tiege invited me to dine at the Captain’s table, and it was truly a reflection of the global nature of our brand. We had a number of our most frequent cruisers at the table, and it included couples from Texas, Germany, Canada, and two couples from Spain. As we introduced ourselves around the table, it was interesting to hear the Spanish guests say this was their 43rd cruise, and the German guests had just returned from Allure.

I’m headed home today and sailing on Majesty of the Seas this weekend for a Make a Wish Board retreat and also our Anchored in Excellence program, so I will be sure to update everyone on what is happening on Majesty next week!

BY:Lisa Bauer|9th May, 2011 4 Comments

Freedom of the Seas Reaches New Heights with the Royal Advantage

Captain Bill and I just completed our Anchored in Excellence (AIE) visit to Freedom of the Seas. Freedom just came out of dry dock on Sunday, March 27th, so we wanted to see the result of how everything looked and was operating. One of the other objectives on our AIE visit was to see what else we could be doing to support the ship with any key operational challenges they were facing.

We boarded the ship in Port Canaveral, there we found some definite challenges with the check in process and the security screening. I was very concerned by the security processes and lack of customer service. When something like this happens that is part of another division, we reach out the department head and raise the issue, then we get together to discuss the situation or challenge. In this case, I immediately raised the issue to Gary Bald, our SVP of Safety, Security, Medical and Public Health, and we will be jointly reviewing our fleet wide security screening standards and expectations. We have a Shoreside Executive Committee that is comprised of all the department heads that support the operation and it is great to be able to reach out and receive the support to address whatever issues we have cross functionally.

Once onboard, we did a full ship tour to see the new venues. Our guests were already enjoying the new outdoor screens. They were watching the NCAA Tournament and having a great time. Because our guests have been enjoying the outdoor screens so much, we’ve decided to add them to Radiance and Splendour later in the year as well.

I was doing my full walk around and ran into two guests that were looking for the screening room. I walked them over and showed them where it was, and they asked me how I knew where it was since it wasn’t on our signage or the new digital signage. I laughed and said I should know where it is because I work here, and thanked them profusely for the feedback that we had indeed neglected to list the screening room in our signage and our new digital screens. Guest feedback is always appreciated and it helps us become our best!

While onboard, we also had the opportunity to try the new Chops Grille menu. I heard lots of great commentary from the guests on the new menu additions, and I personally loved the new goat cheese soufflé and the red velvet cake. I didn’t think it would have been possible to find a better dessert than the Mississippi Mud Pie in Chops, but somehow Chef Josef came up with the Red Velvet Cake and it is amazing. I actually think he was inspired by the Cupcake Cupboard because the Red Velvet cupcakes continue to be the top seller, which is closely followed by the Turtle Cupcake. By the way, the new Cupcake Cupboard on Freedom was greatly received by the guests and we sold out of cupcakes the first day!

We met with the division heads, and updated everyone on our key areas of focus for 2011 and then they brought areas to light where we can provide more support. An area that surfaced was our new pervasive Wi-Fi. While the entire ship now has pervasive Wi-Fi, we are still limited by the number of users that can be on the system at one time. When we encounter an issue like this, we bring it back to Miami and meet with our IT team to address and then solve the issue. We get great support from Bill Martin and his team who have already begun working on a solution so the ship will be able to take full advantage of the enhanced Wi-Fi coverage.

On Freedom, we are adding a Britto Gallery like we have on Allure of the Seas. It is right on the Royal Promenade and I believe it will be very popular with our guests.

Overall it was a great visit. The crew is very proud of what they have accomplished in dry dock, and are also very excited about the new areas and programming. Freedom was already an amazing ship, and with these new additions under the Royal Advantage program, she offers even more now than ever.

BY:Lisa Bauer|15th April, 2011 34 Comments

Find out how Guest Blogger Peter J. Compton Sang His Way to the Top of Cruise Ship Entertainment

Adam Goldstein asked me to think about how the entertainment offered on our ships has evolved since I joined the Cruise industry. As I reflected on this I started remembering that when I was a young man I was a California Dreamer “Boy Singer” living in Los Angeles trying to be the next Jack Jones (If you don’t know who Jack Jones is think a taller, better looking Michael Buble… just kidding Michael). The only problem was there already was a Jack Jones so when I was offered a gig on a cruise ship sailing from Miami, I jumped at it. I had never been on a cruise ship so I really wasn’t prepared for what I discovered.

After I boarded my assigned ship I walked off three times looking for the show room! The ship had originally been a combination cruise ship and car ferry sailing between South Hampton and Gibraltar where the sea could be pretty rough. The “stage” also served as the dance floor. Railings were built around the dance floor in case people lost their balance in the heavy seas on the way to Gibraltar. The effect was that the stage looked like a boxing ring with a very low ceiling. I remember I was considered a bit of a prima donna because I asked for a black out after “my big closing number”. The Cruise Director at the time said “Sure you can have a black out. Just reach up and turn the toggle switch off”. Since the ceiling was so low it wasn’t too hard!

Needless to say cruise ships and entertainment facilities have come a long way since the early 1970s. Today’s vessels are not your father’s cruise ships! But it took a while to get here. I eventually moved to Royal Caribbean International where the first generation of ships, and the rest of the industry for that matter, had relatively limited entertainment facilities. The ceilings were quite low and the theatrical equipment minimal. The theaters were multipurpose lounges for shows, dancing and activities. The best site lines, or best “seats” in the house for viewing the shows, were FROM the stage. By the next class of ships, however, we started to upgrade.

The Sovereign class ships introduced large theaters with good sight lines and better facilities. Thanks to these enhancements and growing management commitment to entertainment productions onboard, the shows were produced with elaborate sets and costumes including video walls and featured larger casts. Royal Caribbean Productions was born in 1990 committing us to in-house produced shows designed specifically for our ships and guest demographics. Prior to that we staged shows by outside producers which were also playing elsewhere and not designed for our audiences. Following the Sovereign class ships each new class of ship introduced even more theatricality and we continued to evolve our commitment to our entertainment product. The Vision class ships introduced orchestra pits, enhanced show automation, and even better sight lines and back stage facilities.

Who knew then that we were headed for the Voyager Class and ultimately the Oasis class ships which would feature more elaborate theaters, introduce ice shows, parades, Aqua Theaters or that we would enter into partnerships with the likes of DreamWorks and iconic Broadway producers for Chicago, Hair Spray and Saturday Night Fever? The journey through the evolution of our entertainment facilities and programming was an exciting creative trip made possible by the relationships developed with visionary architects, designers, creative staffs, consultants and a committed senior management who encouraged and supported us with the necessary resources along the way.

The lines between entertainment and guest activities have blurred and merged delivering exciting personal experiences through land based quality sports facilities, full court basketball, rock climbing walls, FlowRiders, zip lines, mini-golf courses and yes - Presidential table tennis facilities.

The ideas for all these innovations are the result of many creative minds with the help of serendipitous occasions during the process. One of my favorites, for example, includes when we introduced concepts to our management team for activity in Studio B, our onboard Ice Skating rinks. We mentioned we might even do some limited glice skating as a demonstration for our guests. When Richard Fain saw this he said ”No way! If you are going to do that we will have a REAL ICE RING there” Needless to say my staff and I would never have had the nerve to ask for the first ice rink at sea.

The same sort of surprise occurred the first time we saw the drawings for the aft space of the Oasis of the Seas. The architects had placed a pool in the open deck. Everyone in the room upon seeing the suggestion for the first time shouted that it looked like a perfect amphitheater. This space, of course, became the focal point AquaTheater for the Boardwalks onboard our Oasis and Allure cruise ships.

This story, quite naturally, leads to an exploration and discussion of all the great talent, personalities, designers, and entertainment concept development teams who have brought all these spaces to life. The introduction of those talented characters (and I mean characters in the most respectful and fun way) is a story I’ll save for another time!

BY:Peter J. Compton|24th March, 2011 4 Comments

5 Distinct European Flavors Everyone Should Try Once

Introduction by Adam Goldstein

As we have been reporting, we will have eleven ships cruising in Europe this summer visiting 85 ports in 34 countries which provides so many opportunities to visit this fascinating region of the world. In this blog entry, I have asked Patrick Schneider, Director, Shore Excursions, to update you on some of the highlights of the tour program that will be offered for guests visiting Europe this summer. Patrick is one of the leaders in Craig Milan’s Land Operations group.

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Guest blog by Patrick Shneider

My primary responsibility as Director, Shore Excursions, is to oversee a team of Account Managers who identify and develop the tour programs offered worldwide on Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. I am passionate about providing our guests the opportunity to experience amazing cultures around the world, to try new things they never thought they would and to simply escape from their day to day routine. As a former Shore Excursion Manager onboard Celebrity Cruises, I spent several seasons cruising in Europe and learned to love this wildly diverse region for its culture, history, architecture, and people. In my current role, I travel to Europe periodically for onsite inspections and always find a new place to visit or a new experience to try, regardless of how many times I’ve been there before.

Since there are so many things to see and do in Europe I wanted to use this blog to share some of my destination and tour recommendations to help first time and returning visitors select ports and cities. While there are many options for exploring Europe during a cruise vacation, from exploring on your own to hiring a tour guide, my following recommendations highlight great tours that we offer.

Whatever you decide, the main point is to take advantage of the unique occasion to experience something different, and learn all sorts of new things!

First-time visitors to the amazing city of Rome, Italy via the port of Civitavecchia will undoubtedly want to experience the famous landmarks they’ve read and heard about. Rome has an atmosphere and mystique around it, which envelopes its visitors. It has such a deep and interesting history that even if you have visited the city before, you can go back and see something new. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience one of Europe’s most influential cities! Venues in Rome can be split into religious and secular options with some qualifying as both. The “Rome, the Eternal City” tour offers a religious overview of the city with visits to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and Colosseum while our “Imperial Rome” tour offers a secular perspective with stops at the Colosseum, Roman Forum and St. Peter’s Basilica. Guests who are returning to this port may want to experience something outside of Rome. The “Olive Oil Tasting & Scenic Drive” is perfect for guests who would like to take in the flavors and history of Etruscan Italy and enjoy the taste of typical Italian products, all homemade in a typical farmhouse located in the beautiful countryside of Tuscania. And for the chef (or want-to-be chef), try your hand at making three types of pasta on the “Pasta Making Experience & Lunch” tour before enjoying a five-course meal with several courses of pasta. Having just returned from a trip to Italy, believe me that there is nothing like Italian pasta. Well, except fresh mozzarella or pizza or wine or homemade olive oil or….

Corfu, Greece is on an island and is the most westerly point of Greece. For me, Corfu is a perfect example as to why the Greek Islands are so sought after as a premier vacation destination. It is full of beautiful scenic views, and has an air of relaxation around it. Even if you just go into the town and walk around, you can feel your stress just melt away. One of the highlights of Corfu is the Achilleion Palace, built by the Empress Elizabeth ‘Sissy’ of Austria in 1891 and later owned by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. And one of the most beautiful spots on the island, celebrated for its unique and natural beauty, is the Bay of Paleokastritsa, known as the Capri of Greece. Both of which can be experienced on the “Achilleion Palace, Paleokastritsa & Old Town” tour. Guests looking for a more low-key experience will love the beaches of Corfu found in the “Dassia Beach Hotel Package.”

Guests returning to Europe will find the country of Israel fascinating. It is hard to compare this country with any of our other destinations, when you think of the number of different cultures that have inhabited the region. What I found most surprising and interesting during my visits were all of the different phases the area has gone through – and that you can explore all of these from the ports we visit. Royal Caribbean International visits two ports in Israel to provide guests with a comprehensive experience of the country. The most popular activity from Haifa, Israel is to visit Galilee, the scene of Christ’s youth where Jesus was baptized, preached and performed many of His miracles. Other popular sites include the River Jordan, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Church of Multiplication, and Nazareth, which are all visited during our “Nazareth and Galilee - Jesus Ministry” tour. Guests looking for another unique spiritual tour will enjoy learning about Kabbalah on a tour to its birthplace during “The Saffed Kabbalah Experience.”

From Ashdod, Israel, the most popular destinations are Jerusalem and Bethlehem. On the “Jerusalem & Bethlehem” tour, guests will travel to Jerusalem to visit some of the most sacred sites in the world, including the Garden of Gethsemane, the Western or Wailing Wall and the Church of Holy Sepulcher. In Bethlehem, guests will visit the Church of the Nativity. Return visitors will be fascinated by The Dead Sea & Massada excursion. Here visitors can soak up the history of the moving site where Jewish zealots held Roman armies at bay for three years followed by a visit to the the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.

Guests who are looking to take full advantage of the two days in Israel can book the “Grand Overland” tour which features Galilee and Jerusalem and many of the sacred sites I mentioned earlier, as well as lunch in a kibbutz and an overnight stay in Jerusalem with an optional tour of the Old City at night.

Guests cruising in Northern Europe will find the ancient city of St. Petersburg, Russia rich in cultural heritage and a masterpiece of architecture. I have to confess that St. Petersburg is one of my favorite European destinations. While its history is not as long as some of the cities in the Mediterranean, it is very rich and displays one of the most impressive periods of the Russian culture. It is simply fascinating to explore these venues and see how much influence and interaction this empire had with other countries. Additionally, the collection of art and artifacts found in these venues is just beautiful. As with most cities in Europe, one day is never enough to fully explore all they have to offer. With St. Petersburg, you’re in luck as many of our cruise itineraries here offer two days in port. Guests can visit their fancy of palaces, cathedrals, museums and much more. On the “Hermitage & Peterhof” tour, guests will visit the Peterhof Palace which is a testament to the pomp, pageantry and extravagance of Russia’s ruling class. Also on this tour is Yusupov’s Palace which became known as the place of Rasputin’s assassination. On the “St. Petersburg Cathedrals” tour, guests will visit St. Isaac’s Cathedral which is one of the world’s largest cathedrals, the Cathedral of Resurrection on Spilled Blood, which was built on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated, and St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral, which combines the Baroque style with elements of traditional Russian architecture.

Of course, no trip to St. Petersburg would be complete without a visit to the Winter Palace, which is home to the Hermitage Museum. This enormous complex is comprised of five buildings and displays one of the greatest art treasures in the world. Today, the museum contains more than 3 million exhibits, rivaling the Louvre and Prado in architectural, historical and artistic magnificence (after 10 visits to this fascinating museum, I’ve probably only seen 30% of its displayed contents). On the ”Exclusive Hermitage Museum with Gold Room” tour, the highlight is a visit to the Golden Treasury Room which contains the famous Scythian and Greek gold, numerous royal gifts, and a collection of Western European jewelry made by the most prominent jewelers of the time. Guests looking for a perspective on today’s Russia will enjoy the “Local Life Experience: Metro Ride, Kuznechny Market” tour. Or take advantage of the opportunity to visit the home of the Kremlin on the “Journey to Moscow” tour.

I’ve only talked about five of the 85 ports we’re visiting this summer in Europe – if I had unlimited time and space, I could go on for hours about all there is to do in these ports (fortunately for you, that’s not the case). For more details on the tours I referenced and the hundreds of other tours we’re offering, you can visit www.RoyalCaribbean.com/ShoreEx.

BY:Patrick Schneider|15th March, 2011 No Comments
 

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